This invention relates to multiple ply interlinings, primarily intended for use in neckties and the like, and for other items of apparel whose construction is similar or analogous to neckwear. In another aspect, the invention relates to methods for making such interlinings and products. The present invention provides an interlining fabric which has all of the advantages of multi-ply construction, including the selective use of dissimilar plies, and which can be supplied to a maker of neckwear in indeterminate lengths and in the form of roll goods.
In the manufacture of various types of apparel, it is conventional practice to incorporate into the construction a stiffening insert, usually referred to as an interlining, and typically enclosed within a body or shell of fabric. Neckwear, such as conventional neckties, bow ties and the like, as well as analogous products such as cummerbunds, use interlinings.
Interlining fabrics conventionally consist of woven, knit or in some instances non-woven material. Woven interlining fabrics are desirable for their desirable characteristics of resiliency, drape and strength. Non-wovens can provide desirable fullness and resilience for some applications.
In the field of neckwear, it has been suggested that the characteristics of the finished products, specifically as to hand, drapability, stretch and knotting characteristics, can be improved by the use of multiple plies for composite interlinings. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,426,360, issued Feb. 11, 1969, and 3,562,814, issued Feb. 16, 1971, illustrate examples.
One heretofore encountered disadvantage of multiple ply interlinings has been the need for increased time and care in the cutting, laying-out and construction of such interlinings and products made from them, as well as difficulty in accurately and efficiently joining such interlinings to the tie casing. One particular problem attendant the use of multiple ply interlinings has been sliding of the plies relative to each other during manufacture, prior to stitching of the interlining to the casing. The resulting mis-registry of the plies results in poor or uneven drape of the finished article, and unacceptable knotting characteristics or durability. A proposed solution to these perceived difficulties was offered in U.S. Pat. No. 4,229,834, issued Oct. 28, 1980. That patent suggested the use of a double-layer interlining fabric, constructed using a double-shed weaving technique to form two plies of cloth, the plies being interconnected by binder yarns woven together with the respective plies. In such an arrangement, the multiple ply interlining fabric can be provided to the maker of the finished product as roll goods, to be cut into individual tie linings at the time of manufacture. The two plies, however, are the same, and, because the fabric is produced on a loom, the economies of the weaving process dictate that long processing runs be used. Moreover, the relative frequency of the binder yarns, again, dictated by the weaving process, tends to yield a relatively "stiff" or "tight" interlining.